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Topic: Big Tom Article (Read 1937 times)

{I read this and had to post it ..especially for you Wendy ..Now I know why you Love Big Tom so much ..whats not to love ? }

Medium Todd meets Big Tom 4-line readin goes here.

By Todd Jennings

roanoke.com

I figure one of these days I will be traveling and I'll meet up with a stranger. We will converse and soon I'll be asked where I'm from. When I say "Southwest Virginia," the stranger will inevitably ask, "Say! Do you know Big Tom?"

"Big Tom" Buchanan, the colorful reality television "All-Star Survivor," has put this area on the map for the entire world to wonder about. He may live two counties over but he qualifies as a local celebrity. I have to wonder if Danville is just as pleased to have "Johnny Fairplay" as its local "Survivor" representative?

Big Tom has been making the rounds of local schools expressing his concerns about literacy. That's mighty decent of him. I have no clue what social issues I would be pushing if I were in his place. I'd probably be pushing the alarming disappearance of the middle class. This would justify my selling autographs for 10 bucks a pop.

I recently got to meet Big Tom. He was guest of honor at the local VFW for a program recognizing kids in the Title I reading classes. From the huge turnout it appeared every student in the county must be a Title I reader. He had just arrived from New York and he had plenty to say. He kept us entertained with homegrown anecdotes and the occasional sound bite from "Survivor." "Don't be stupid, stupid!" got the most response.

Of all his countrified attributes, I like most the way Big Tom refers to himself in the third person. I love that. I mean, Todd loves that ... Todd truly does!

Then we all lined up for our promised photo ops.

All those in attendance wondered what they would say once they got to meet the Man in Overalls. We all wanted to ask, "How long do ya give Rob and Amber's marriage?" But the one time he did mention the dastardly duo he seemed visibly perturbed. So we kept quiet.

Besides, I had deeper queries in mind. I had

about 15 seconds to ask him my burning question regarding the show: Namely, how was it possible to have so many scenes where there were simultaneous multiple camera angles yet no camera crew in sight?

I am sure from a logistics standpoint some of these scenes were staged or at least re-filmed. Can't help it. I'm a film production nerd. I pay far too much attention to the technical aspects. I actually care who the key grips are.

Big Tom said he had no idea how it was possible to keep from accidentally filming the ubiquitous camera crews. He theorized that if they inadvertently got on film it was simply edited out.

In some cases, sure, but there were scenes where this just did not seem possible. There HAD to be staged moments and times when the scenes were re-shot. Underwater scenes, night vision shots, every angle covered front and back? The contestants should have been tripping over production personnel right and left.

I gave him a knowing grin. After all, the producers had probably sworn him to secrecy. But he assured me that the producers were not putting the muckers on him. He simply had no idea how the aforementioned technical marvels were created. Big Tom had spoken.

Fifteen seconds gone, T-shirt signed, photo op spent and I'm out the door. He had a whole bunch more supposed Title I families to deal with. Nice guy, though. He seems to be the same good ol' boy in person that he was on TV. I wish we could have had a few minutes more to get down to brass tacks. I'm sure we would have plenty to talk about ... goat farming, politics, the pressures of being a celebrity.